Five York University students will receive scholarships from the Vietnamese Association of Toronto (VAT) on Jan. 28 as part of the Tet lunar new year festival. The students are among 12 Ontario students being honoured by the association at Mississauga’s Hershey Centre for their exemplary scholastic achievements.
First-year Kinesiology student Duong Chieu Huynh (Grade 12 average: 96.5 per cent) and Lan Tran, a first-year Faculty of Arts business student (Grade 12 average: 92.2 per cent), will receive Academic Excellence awards of $1,000 each. Truc Hong Nguyen, a graduate student in Communication & Culture, and Huong Thien Vu, a graduate student in biology in the Faculty of Science & Engineering, will be honoured for Special Academic Excellence, receiving $1,000 each. Anna Thao Phuong Vo, a second-year business administration student in York’s Schulich School of Business, will receive a Community Excellence award of $500.
The VAT scholarship program recognizes academic achievement and community involvement of Vietnamese youth who are full-time students at a college or university in Ontario. They may be self-nominated or nominated by their local Vietnamese Students’ Associations.
Founded in 1972, the VAT is the only language-specific organization in Toronto that provides settlement and social services to immigrants. It promotes racial harmony, the preservation of Vietnamese culture and multiculturalism in Canada. The association also offers employment-related services and seminars about issues affecting the Vietnamese community.
Visit the Vietnamese Association of Toronto Web site for more information on the scholarship program.
This story was written by Bethany Hansraj, a student assistant in the Publications unit of York’s Marketing & Communications Division.